Earthquake Detection: Smartphone Tech Could Improve Response

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Small sensors found in most smartphones and laptops are sensitive
enough to detect the movement of moderate and large earthquakes,
and could vastly expand the information gathered during seismic
events in densely populated cities, new research suggests.

The devices, called
micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers,
measure movement in three dimensions and tell the phone's screen
to flip from horizontal to vertical when the phone tilts. In
laptops, they detect the motion of falling, and force the hard
drive into a safe mode prior to impact.

Given the widespread use of laptops and smartphones containing
these devices, researchers at Italy's National Institute of
Geophysics and Volcanology decided to test whether the sensors
could adequately record earthquake movements. [ 7
Ways the Earth Changes in the Blink of an Eye ]

"Theoretically, any device connected to the Internet with an
internal MEMS accelerometer, such as a computer or mobile phone,
can become a strong-motion seismic station, and that could be
easily used to enormously increase the number of observation
points when an earthquake occurs," said study co-author Antonino
D’Alessandro.

To test the effectiveness of the MEMS technology, the team
attached a MEMS accelerometer -- the same model found
in the iPhone 4 and 5 -- to a device used in conventional
seismic surveys, and placed both on a vibrating table, that was
oscillating at a known rate. They then compared the readings, to
determine if the MEMS chip produced the same readings as the
conventional technology.

The researchers found the chip did indeed collect data comparable
to that of the standard device. This suggests
the MEMS chip could gather data during moderate and large
earthquakes (those with a magnitude of 5 or greater), as long as
the device was near the epicenter of the movement. The team
details their findings today (Sept. 29) in the journal Bulletin
of the Seismological Society of America.

"The number of victims following
a strong earthquake depends mainly on the intensity of
shaking, and the speed of rescue operations," said study
co-author Antonino D'Alessandro. "A real-time urban seismic
network can drastically reduce casualties in urban areas
immediately following a strong earthquake, by quickly
distributing information about the distribution and intensity of
ground shaking."

The chip did not accurately detect small movements, suggesting it
would not be useful in small earthquakes, but the researchers
noted that MEMS technology is advancing, and might soon be able
to deal with subtler movements.

Researchers at Stanford University in California have also
recently explored ways to use MEMS technology in seismic
networks, and have even begun creating an international network
of volunteer internet users called the Quake-Catcher Network.

While such networks are valuable, they may not be possible to
create well in poor or remote cities, where fewer residents have
Internet access, D'Alessandro noted. As an alternative, the team
suggested manufacturers could develop MEMS devices for the sole
purpose of collecting seismic data, and distribute them to
emergency management teams in earthquake-prone cities. The teams
could then deploy the devices to locations as they see fit.

The research group is now testing a new MEMS accelerometer model
that they say is 100 times more sensitive than the one currently
used in iPhones, which may be sensitive enough to accurately
record small-scale earthquakes.